Botanical classification: Rosa hybrid. 
Variety denomination: xe2x80x98POULht003xe2x80x99.
The present invention constitutes a new and distinct variety of garden rose plant which originated from a controlled crossing between the female parent, an un-named seedling, and the male parent xe2x80x98POULducexe2x80x99, described and illustrated in U.S. Plant patent application Ser. No. 09/277,239 (abandoned) dated Mar. 26, 1999. The two parents were crossed during the summer of 1994 and the resulting seeds were planted in a controlled environment in Fredensborg, Denmark. The new variety is named xe2x80x98POULht003xe2x80x99.
The new variety may be distinguished from its female seed parent by the following combination of characteristics:
1. While the seed parent has deep floral orange hues, flowers of xe2x80x98POULht003xe2x80x99 are lighter, orange-yellow in color.
2. xe2x80x98Poulht003xe2x80x99 is more disease resistant than the seed parent.
3. Flowers of the new variety, xe2x80x98POULht003xe2x80x99, have improved color retention than flowers of the seed parent.
The new variety may be distinguished from its pollen parent, xe2x80x98POULducexe2x80x99 by the following combination of characteristics:
1. While flowers of the male pollen parent have a general tonality of Yellow Group 3C-4D, flowers of xe2x80x98POULht002xe2x80x99 have a general tonality of Yellow-Orange Group 19C.
2. While the male pollen parent has a flower petal count of 50-65 petals, xe2x80x98POULht003xe2x80x99 has 40 petals.
The objective of the hybridization of this rose variety was to create a new and distinct variety for garden use with unique qualities, such as:
1. Uniform and abundant apricot flowers with good color retention;
2. Vigorous, compact growth;
3. Disease resistance;
4. Classic rose flower form.
This combination of qualities is not present in previously available commercial cultivars of this type, known to the inventors, and distinguish xe2x80x98POULht003xe2x80x99 from all other varieties of which we are aware.
As part of their rose development program, L. Pernille Olesen and Mogens N. Olesen germinated the seeds from the aforementioned hybridization during winter of 1994 and conducted evaluations on the resulting seedlings in a controlled environment in Fredensborg, Denmark.
xe2x80x98POULht003xe2x80x99 was selected in the spring 1995 by the inventors as a single plant from the progeny of the aforementioned hybridization.
Asexual reproduction of xe2x80x98POULht003xe2x80x99 by traditional budding and rooted cuttings was first done by L. Pernille and Mogens N. Olesen in their nursery in Fredensborg, Denmark in July, 1995. This initial and other subsequent asexual propagations conducted in controlled environments have demonstrated that the characteristics of xe2x80x98POULht003xe2x80x99 are true to type and are transmitted from one generation to the next.